In the beginning, God did not create an object, but a person.
He formed man in His image, giving him dignity, value, and the breath of life.
“God created man in His own image…” (Genesis 1:27)
But when man begins to exploit his fellow man, something deep is broken:
the person is reduced to a thing.
To objectify someone means:
• no longer seeing in them a soul, but only usefulness,
• no longer recognizing their value, but only what they can provide,
• treating them as an instrument, a means, or a simple advantage.
In this distorted view:
• the other becomes a tool to use,
• a resource to exhaust,
• an opportunity to exploit.
And as soon as a human being becomes a thing, exploitation becomes normal.
The Bible strongly condemns this drift of the human heart.
1. God refuses that man be reduced to an object
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31)
To love is to recognize the value of the other.
To exploit is to deny that value.
2. To exploit is to despise the image of God
“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker.” (Proverbs 14:31)
When you exploit someone, you are not only attacking a person:
you are offending their Creator.
In reality, exploitation is not first a system,
it is a matter of the heart: selfishness, greed, and the desire to dominate.
Even if people remain silent, God sees and condemns the objectification of human beings and the exploitation of man by man.
Spiritual truth:
Where God reigns, man is honored, dignity is restored, and love replaces self-interest.
But where God is rejected, man becomes a means, and exploitation takes root.
Personal reflection:
Do I see others as persons or as means?
Do I use people, or do I love them?
Do my relationships honor God?
PRAYER:
Lord,
deliver me from any mindset that reduces others to things.
Give me Your heart,
to love, respect, and honor every person.
Keep me from all forms of exploitation, visible or hidden.
Make me a reflection of Your love.
Amen.
CONCLUSION:
Man is not a thing.
He is a bearer of the image of God.
To refuse to exploit others
is to recognize God in them.
Apostle Dr. Jean-Claude SINDAYIGAYA